(Adapted from a published adventure by Professor Christopher McGlothlin)
About half an hour before Dawn, Sam’s rugged tablet rang, waking him up. Crawling out of bed, he dressed, grabbed a quick coffee and flew to the rooftop of the Trinity Hospital where three witches were waited for him; Ok, so possibly Dr Batty didn’t look like a witch but Madame O’Tando certainly fitted the bill and the young, cloak-covered girl… Seven? They definitely fitted the description of the hag and the maiden. He nodded to all three and realised that they must have worked all night to gather the various components and construct a ritual that would work for everyone’s unique mystical abilities.
The brazier stood awaiting the rise of the Sun. Various roots, herbs and objects of arcane origin lay ready to feed the mystical flames that he would produce to start the ritual at Dawn’s first light. Each of the seven who’d agreed to participate would add something to the ritual throughout the next seven hours with Madame O’Tando and Bathsheba staying throughout to weave the elements together as an offering to the flames of Phoros. The issue was not the spell itself so much as the area and number of victims they needed to affect.
Here comes the Sun! Sam prepared himself to light the brazier and… Coughed, spluttered and nothing! The cough had robbed him of his fiery breath! Momentarily panicked as the sun reached its target, he tried again and this time produced a flame so hot he thought it might melt the receptacle but no; the flame caught and echoed the sunlight as it produced an orb of flame above the burning contents.
The witches three nodded at him and warned that he would be needed again at the end and reminded him that each of the others would be needed at some point during the ritual and would need to get here as soon as possible after they were summoned. He was then dismissed as they returned their attention to seeking the Pharos; the inter-dimensional Will o’ the Wisps that would hopefully bear this healing charm across the city and beyond.
Heading back to the apartment, he saw both Mary and Akira were now up and about and reading a report from Jenni that had been projected onto a second TV screen in their living room.
Seems Mary’s spell from a couple of nights ago had had some success after all; Arov (the Fly) had gradually reverted to human form as Albert Hedison since then; The final transformation had taken place overnight and his guilt had caused him to try to commit suicide. He was prevented from doing so but had become very despondent & ashamed.
The other six prisoners on the other hand appeared to be growing in strength and power and the Prison had to call in the Sabra overnight to help keep them restrained. This type of power boost, even the ability to retain their powers in those cells, was apparently unprecedented.
As they were reading this, there was a strong stench of sulphur and a window of light appeared to open in a darkened corner of the room which revealed a tall man in sunglasses with blonde close cropped hair sitting at a café table apparently reading a newspaper and drinking a small coffee. Even sitting down it was clear that was abnormally tall; over seven foot in height.
As they watched, they realised that the newspaper was dated tomorrow and headlined “The End of Days”. The scene appears to be of a café in some form of an Arabic Souk and none of the other patrons appeared to be aware of either the man or his watching ‘guests’.
A breeze wafted through the gap, bringing the bitter smell of Arabic coffee, an explosion of herbs and the smell of camels.
As soon as they realised who it was, Mary and Akira attempted to jump through to attack and instead felt a violent shock and hit a powerful force wall. Going by the breeze, this ‘window’ was only open from one side. The Bargainer put down his newspaper, steepled his fingers and disapprovingly muttered “naughty, naughty”.
Sam reacted by trying to go into his chameleon mode but this was a new power, one he hadn’t yet mastered and only succeeded in matching what he saw in front of him; through the window which had the unfortunate effect on making him stand out even more in the darker apartment.
“I hope you don’t mind but I let myself in… Samuel, Mary, Akira – did you know that in Arabic your name means “dark night”? Appropriate don’t you think?”
Akira muttered “If you think so.”
The Bargainer continued, “First, thank you for sending my people to Solomon Penitentiary. Do you know HOW the prison dampens down powers? You’ve heard of Solomon haven’t you? About his ability to imprison demons and make them his servants?”
It was obvious The Bargainer was enjoying himself and would not be rushed.
“I always wanted to test the wards in that place. To test myself against the old man himself… You do know the history of the prison don’t you? No?
Well in the late 1800’s several tunnels were secretly dug beneath the remains of the Temple and in one of them they found a horde of strange carved stones. The treasure hunters were subsequently captured and the stones sent to the British Museum until they were repatriated after the last? Second? Anyway one of the world wars and when the current occupiers of that land found they would dampen down all powers, regardless of origin they created the Solomon Penitentiary and embedded them into the structure.
So now I get to test them…” He gave a little clap of his fingertips, “Oh joy, oh joy!”
Suddenly he stopped, tilted his head slightly and said, “Ah, call for you?”
A call came in over the shared Sabra channel a second or two later. He nodded and started to read his paper again.
It was Jenni. “Six of the prisoners are becoming super-charged. Myself and my team are going to have to stay here to prevent a mass breakout. Can you handle things on top? Oh shit, I’ve got to go, one of them has ripped the door off his cell – stay there and deal with the last plague won’t you..?”
Before she could end the call Mary quickly asked after the alcoholic ex-reporter and the two in hospital had they been affected by the sudden power boost? No but the other six..!
Jenni ended the call abruptly just as the Bargainer folded his paper and put it down then reach for his coffee taking a sip, “Getting a bit frisky are they? Going to happen… They’re feeding off Zahava’s anger and hate. As long as she’s free they will keep on getting more and more powerful.
As for the Angel of Death – and her targeting the first born? Actually what Moses should have said was ‘The First Born AND THEIR descendants to the third and fourth generation’. Nothing like a bit of inclusivity don’t you think?
I can help you; help you find her, give you a boost? In fact I can make your heart’s desires become true and as for the price? You’d never even miss it?”
Mary spoke up “I doubt we’d like the price.”
The Bargainer smiled again, “Let’s discuss the benefits first and if you like what I’m offering we can haggle over the price later. Mary what would you like? To go back home to your own world, maybe even to rule there? Snap of my fingers and it’s done. Make it so Dalton never existed?
Sam seemed interested and spoke up “What about dealing with Abyss?”
The Bargainer continued “as you say, or perhaps totally destroy Abyss? Just tell me your heart’s desire and I’ll make it real as for the price, you’ll never even miss it I promise you that!”
Mary asked “so what, sell you our souls?”
“Soul? What’s a soul, no nothing so Mephistophelian I promise you. No?”
Mary turned “go away please, there will be no sales today.”
The bargainer turned slightly towards the reverted Sam, “And what about you Samuel? I could make you into a real dragon, with all the power and majesty of being the natural ruler of this world, or what about that wind-up toy of yours Annie? I could make it so she was never trapped inside that metal prison? “
Akira could see the gleam of interest in Sam’s eye and jumped in quickly “Sam you need to think twice before agreeing to anything; even if you get what you want, it’ll probably not be what you wanted at all.”
Sam ignored the comment and simply replied, “we’ve things in common, he likes coffee and I like coffee… what’s the harm in listening?”
Akira shouted, “You don’t bargain with the devil!”
Akira tried to persuade Sam, telling him not to listen but it didn’t work beyond Sam saying “why not listen? What harm can it do? We could have all the power we want, we’re called the Balance, perhaps with the extra power we could finally bring balance into the world…”
Realising that he needed to let his words simmer, he turned his attentions on Akira, “Or how about you little Prince? Know that Lucian did once approach me to destroy you and yours completely but he was unwilling to pay the price. You on the other hand could ask for immortality so you’d never die.
Just think, you could bring your parents back from the dead, demand I destroy Lucian for you or give you the power so you could do it yourself or perhaps you’d just like someone to love or lust after?
No I think you would prefer power, enough to be Gods in your own right. I am in the business of making deals; deals, which grant people their hearts’ desires. Yours, I gather, is saving this glorious city. That can most certainly be arranged.”
He continued, explaining that he was offering to boost the player character’s abilities far in excess of the members of the G’Tach. “Just think what you could achieve with that level of power – do a Jesus and turn all of the blood into water? Done! Destroy all of the plague carriers with a snap of your fingers.”
As he did so, a card materialised in the air and drifted down flipping itself over before landing on the coffee table to reveal an ivory-white card with a symbol on it. Sam quickly reached over and pocketed the card.
At that, the Bargainer smiled and continued, “There’s always next time. This I will give you for free. The plagues will get more and more powerful because they are feeding off the hate and anger of the Angel of Death.
Unless she is defeated, they will just keep on getting more and more powerful until they destroy this whole country and everyone in it as a warning to others… And to advertise to the rest of the world the power of the bargain…
Here’s a freebie to show my faith. She cannot go home so where did she flee to after her UN hearing? Where will she feel is an appropriate base from which to start her campaign on the first born and their descendants?
We must do this again sometime, soon. Bye, bye now!” Almost as suddenly as it appeared the window in space disappeared in a sulphurous cloud.
Left alone, the team considered his parting words – she couldn’t go home so, if they believed him, the apartment in Galilee was out. An appropriate base to attack children..? The hospital? No known connection but didn’t King Bee mention something about meeting her in a school?
A quick phone call to the Gabel Mukaber Retirement Home and Mr. Netzbauer revealed that he thought the school had been the Tyler Elementary School in the Morashba district of the city. Mary remembered that the old lady had also mentioned that area being where her mother and she had meet Sabra.
All arrows appeared to point to her old neighbourhood being the best place to begin the hunt and in particular the only school in the area, Tyler Elementary School.
Both Mary and Akira tried various methods to try and view the past or scry the Death Angel’s location but beyond a deep dark sinkhole of darkness in the direction of the Morashba district, they failed to get anything definitive.
Perhaps there was a way they could reach her without this going into a full-on grudge match? Mary suggested they needed to find a way; and they discussed whether they could (or should) involve any surviving members of the Liberty League or..?
Again, it was Mary that suggested at least part of the answer might be to make her realise that she hadn’t been forgotten and her defence of her neighbourhood had been remembered…
Not sure how best to do that, they still had the brass rubbing of the plaque and Mary suggested a trip to Millennium Comics to see if they could find something there they could use to reach her.
They were lucky and found the shop still open and the owner Jerri Webster and the artist Darren Calvert both present and happy to part with as much Red Srulik merchandise as they could carry. They were happy to help real superheroes to save their city so didn’t protest too much beyond not allowing them to add too many collectables to their haul.
The best item as far as Sam was concerned was a full sized figure of Red Srulik that could be folded down for transportation. If it survived the encounter, it would make a wonderful souvenir for their trophy room.
Time to go. Flying, they soon found themselves in the Morashba district; after two days of exodus from the city, the area was almost completely abandoned, home only to a few stray animals and lightweight rubbish blowing in the wind. Its streets carpeted in dead, rotting bugs, the stench strong enough to affect anyone with a nose.
They soon found Tyler Elementary School, and it said quite a bit about the Morashba district that it had been left standing despite being abandoned for years.
The building is in such rough shape that it looked as though the spray-painted street gang symbols were the only things holding it up. Other than the structure being brick and block-shaped, there was no hint from the outside that it had ever been a place for children and learning.
The outside was fully boarded up and from the sky it was obvious parts of the building had suffered from the floors collapsing due to damaged water pipes.
They landed in the school courtyard in the centre. Sam immediately shouted out “Hello? Sabra, Angel of Death, please? We just want to talk.” So much for an element of surprise.
However, there was nothing. No reply, no attack. Akira immediately headed inside forcing a locked but unboarded door open and heading to where the signs said was the office. Inside all the paperwork had been removed, leaving only empty filing cabinets wide open and damaged office furniture. So, where to try next?
Sam tried using his tracking sense and smelt something, just not sure what, something still alive straight above them but some distance away. Immediately he and Mary headed for the stairs but Akira seeing the weakened roof and water damage decided to retain the element of surprise and smash through into the floor above. However, it wasn’t quite as weak as it looked and he found himself bruised, humbly deciding to follow the others up the stairs.
Again, Sam’s sense of smell said yet another floor to climb. There they started to head down the corridor only to see in the first classroom overseeing the courtyard; Zahava, now transformed into the Death Angel, sitting placidly alone. She appeared oblivious to anything but her own inner pain, and sat staring at a long-dead clock as if it were still tolling the seconds until something would happen… something terrible. She was oblivious to their presence.
That was until Akira decided to open the dialogue with “Hey gorgeous, what’re you up to?”
They caught a glimpse of the sadness etched deeply on her face for just a moment and bathed in the hate and anguish emanating from her still figure and then it transformed into a visage of almost unspeakable torment and anger. She unleashed a blast from the circling skull-like projections that surrounded her, a blast that smashed into the team without mercy. Akira managed to activate his shield just in time to protect both Mary and himself though the power behind the blast slammed them into the classroom wall. Sam was not so lucky and was left staggered and bruised.
This had been a blow intended to kill. Had it hit ordinary people it would have. Zahava was now a merciless killing machine.
Before she could get off a second attack, Akira nodded at Sam and he grabbed Sam in his theurgical-kinesis and hurled him with all their combined strength and energy at the Angel of Death. It had been something he’d seen in one of the comics in the comic store; something the authors had called a “fastball special” and he and Sam had wanted to try it; sometime…
Sam hit her square on and together they crashed through the outside classroom wall and fell two storeys to the concrete courtyard below.
Despite the force of the attack, she was only dazed and she still did not banter, hesitate, or flinch as she prepared to return the violence. Her every action was lethal, and her every word spoke of neglect, hatred, and jealousy. The one-time hero had become death, and giving death was her all.
Standing up he reached round and quickly unfolded the life-size figure. “Look you haven’t been forgotten…” High up in the hole in the wall Mary started to strum a calming lullaby interwoven with her Abjuration of Abbridon spell to ease what he hoped would be her transformation back into her original cancer-ridden self.
Akira used the moment of confusion as the Angel of Death looked on the cardboard cutout of what appeared to be her younger self to levitate down with some more of the merchandise they’d obtained.
Both of them tried to explain to her that she was not forgotten by the people of the city that she had a new fan club now and comics, merchandise..?
Sam produced the rubbing of the plaque and explained that local people she’d saved had paid for the plaque and even more to have it installed on her old apartment building.
Akira joked that Sam always kept it close to his heart, which since it had come out of Sam’s back pocket hadn’t gone well with either Sam or Death Angel.
It seemed to be working in that there had been no new attacks but it wasn’t happening fast enough so Akira elected to try a little intimidation in his voice.
She responded with “Why should I trust superheroes? You’re all as bad as each other” as a powerful blast hit Akira and hurled him across the courtyard into the wall, weakening it further.
Sam Shouted at Akira, “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should…” and quickly pulled out his tablet “I fully understand why you don’t trust us so let me get the artist and a comic store owner to tell you… Just a give me a couple of seconds, ok?”
Hitting the number he’d got from Darren, he quickly explained he needed them to talk to the original Sabra as they needed their help as she really didn’t trust metas.. “Just talk to her and tell her how popular she is, please?” Then handing the tablet over muttering “please don’t damage it, I happen to love this tablet…” he used his draconic persuasion to influence her by saying “That’s fine, don’t listen to us, but do listen to them they’ve no reason to lie to you…”
Showing the Death Angel a big stack of t-shirts, posters, action figures, and comic books in the store bearing her image of her in her prime the two comic fans began to talk to her as only comic-book fans could, of heroes and how they inspired non-superheroic people. They apologised for not using her name in the comic but explained, “Castle Comics made me change the character’s name because they were afraid you’d sue!” and “They sold the movie rights. The studio is pushing for Angelina Jolie to play you”.
All the time Mary kept up her mystical weaving with her harp from on high.
Getting back up Akira realised that although they had stopped her there was still too much hate that they weren’t yet able to counter. Even if she was now getting some recognition as a hero it didn’t make up for her treatment by the Liberty League or give her reason to change back into an elderly cancerous body. They needed more persuasion he thought.
Sam continued trying to use his subtle draconic persuasion that it wasn’t too late to undo what had happened…
Akira again tried; claiming hundreds of thousands of people loved her. That caused the two on screen to squirm and Death Angel to realise she was being played. Sam tried to keep it positive by again mentioning the plaque and the fact that local people had paid for it to commemorate her memory. Did she really want to throw that away?
Suddenly a call came in from the ritual – they needed Akira to make his contribution to the ritual. Teleporting to the hospital roof immediately they quickly discussed the options and he offered to contribute range and accuracy to the spell. Slightly weakened he quickly ported back to the courtyard… Maybe if they can just keep her occupied until the ritual activated that might counter her transformation?
They needed someone connected to the Liberty League but who? Akira suggested Jenni as the nearest they had to a surviving league member so Sam made the call; “Jenni can you get…” The “here” was said to her, face to face.
Akira tried to get Jenni to say that her grandfather had been a bit bad tempered and rough round the edges but he respected Sabra didn’t he..?”
It was obvious neither the Angel of Death or Jenni were willing to say or believe that. Then Jenni was called back to the Prison to cover for Tzaddik who’d been summoned to the ritual.
The Death Angel’s continued a ceaseless ranting about being a woman scorned, about her UN testimony. She spoke of herself as a martyr who did what she did for her country, but it was obvious even she wasn’t convinced.
Who else to try? The Mayor’s father, Teddy Kollek had told them the story, possibly?
After a very quick call over their ear pieces, he immediately agreed to help. As he said he would happily sacrifice himself a thousand times over to save his City and its residents, so he was more than willing to put his life on the line one more time by meeting with the Angel of Death.
Akira teleported to the museum where he picked up and transported Mr Kollek back with him as Sam explained to the nervous woman opposite that they were getting someone she would want to talk to.
He seemed to know what needed to be said to Zahava. He apologised for not treating her better all those years ago, and said, “We were wrong to ignore someone with your kind of dedication to being a hero.” He summed up the UN debacle by saying, “I don’t know why you did what you did, but like a lot of people back then, I know you must’ve had good reasons. No hard feelings and I’m sorry for what happened to you afterwards.”
Meanwhile Akira tried to find further emotional leverage asking Teddy if he could ask his son for a special day to honour Sabra or create a postage stamp in her honour? Teddy tried to explain that he wouldn’t lie to her or anyone else and no she wasn’t well known enough or done enough to warrant a special day honouring her or..?
Finally, Akira again tried to intimidate her and said that if she changed she could always live out her days with them. In Wessex?
“As a cancer-ridden old crone?” she screamed and in hate-driven anger she unleashed a blast that levelled the school, reduced Teddy to dust and slammed Akira against the rubble with such force he was left incapacitated and near death. Mary immediately responded by changing into an insubstantial Banshee and floating down through the debris whilst Sam rushed over, grabbed Akira and flew off with him towards Trinity Hospital.
Banshee remaining insubstantial confronted the Death Angel, “Was it worth it, a good man is dead. Another badly injured. I want to know, what price did you pay for your revenge?”
Having dropped off Akira with the staff at the hospital, Sam had a final thought – one last attempt, Mrs Kemp the old lady at the nursing home. Perhaps her genuine sincerity could reach Zahava?
Despite the bad press she got for testifying against the Liberty League, she and her neighbours had remembered the good she done for them personally. They also realised the good she’d done for the neighbourhood as a whole.
Heading at top speed to the Gabel Mukaber Retirement Home, he quickly tracked down Mrs Kemp and explained what they needed but also emphasised the danger. This could be a life or death mission, “Are you ready to be a hero?” She smiled and patted him on the knee. “That’s all right at my age, death waits round every corner.”
Before he could leave though Brayan Netzbauer, King Bee rushed out dressed in costume and explained he was going too. He had an idea how he might help. Worried Sam tried a bit of his draconic persuasion on him to make sure this wasn’t some attempt to get back into the super-powered villain game again.
Flying down he gently settled his passengers on the ground. Mrs Kemp started immediately praising the woman she saw in front of her, not the Angel of Death but the brave Sabra and thanking her for rescuing her and her mother so many, many years before. Following her heartfelt, fond remembrances of the Sabra with a sincere expression of gratitude she and others obviously felt towards her.
Brayan on the other hand tried a different if equally successful tack. His words were a perfect balance of flattery towards Sabra offering to give himself up, but only to “the real hero I knew back in the ‘60s.”
Having seen tears forming, Sam quickly ushered the two elderly people back out of the way and thanked them.
Behind him, the defeated Death Angel’s form began to dissolve, and a trail of energy appeared to evaporate from her body. She slowly floated to Earth like a falling leaf, eventually coming to rest in front of Mary and Sam. As they watched, she completely reverted back to her natural form, that of a frail 78-year-old woman showing the ravages of her terminal cancer. Having renounced her dark side, the bargainer’s deal, and her very life; it was obvious Zahava was dying. Her eyes were filled with tears, and sprung not from the end of her life nearly so much as the realisation of how much of it she wasted on jealousy and self-delusion. All but her very last laboured breaths carry the words, “I’m sorry. So very, very sorry.”
Holding back the tears with her final ounce of strength, Zahava said, “I’d have given anything to have been a real hero.” With that, all her mortal pain ended.
Those gathered in the ruins now carried with them the sum of all memories of a human life. While it may not be great, they were the guardians of Zahava’s legacy. Everything she did in this life now amounted to what the characters remembered of her and chose to share.
Still they had a job to do, it was nearing the end of the ritual and they needed to get Mrs Kemp and King Bee back to their nursing home, inform the Mayor that his father died a hero and then meet up on the hospital roof for the end of the ritual. Hopefully having Akira in the same building would be sufficient.
Less than an hour later, Sam and Mary were on the roof as the ritual neared its end, Tzaddik had joined them since the remaining powered members of G’Tach had vanished from their cells without trace at the same time as Zahava had died.
As the last ingredient was thrown in, hundreds of bright blue sparks, each formed of a non-Euclidean Geometry that hurt the eyes of those who watched burst forth from the flaming globe hovering above the brazier. Each flame then shattered into hundreds of doppelgänger flames which spread across the city and beyond at the speed of light.
Downstairs flames appeared and flitted into the bodies of the ill and dying. Those with the plague like Max or Jack Wolfe weren’t cured but it was as though the plague became mundane and the clock restarted allowing the vast quality of neo-antibiotics brought in by Tess Challenger-Wildeman to start their work without mystical interference.
Those affected by the mystical attacks themselves, including Akira, felt a flame enter inside them and burn the mystical damage out of them before sparking back to their own dimension.
It was then Sam realised that his contribution to the ritual had left him without his mystical flame as the power returned with the Phoros’ departure, having done their work.
Bathsheba admitted to Mary that the difficulty with the ritual hadn’t been calling the Phoros, it had been bringing enough of them through to cover such a large area. Thankfully it had worked.
But Sam still was left wondering “What if?”
The next day saw reporters wanting to know what had actually happened. The G’Tach who had escaped took most of the blame but the Balance elected to choose to tell a few white lies in the interests of what they deemed to be just.
Bathsheba had warned them to leave The Bargainer out of the report. The general public didn’t need to know about almost Godlike mages being out there, she explained.
Instead, they told people that Teddy Kollek had died a hero protecting the city he loved. Reciting a half-truth, they said that Zahava had been involved but was “possessed just like a couple of the others and not in control of her own actions.” They tried to paint her as a courageous figure who sacrificed herself to end the threat of the G’Tach.
As a result, reporters curious over who Zahava, Sabra, had been began to publish stories culled from the people she’d helped, including Mrs Kemp and Brayan Netzbauer. The former King Bee diplomatically refers to her as “one of the few heroes who’d ever defeated me.”
Before they left to return with a recuperating Max, the King Bee’s website had become extremely popular, to the amusement of the team. In fact, Darren Calvert added the King Bee to the Red Srulik’s rogues gallery and made sure the old man got royalties for every issue he appeared in.
They did manage to negotiate for Professor Khaled Al-Hassan and Albert Hedison to receive psychiatric help rather than face criminal charges and for Mustafa Al-Hallaj to be fostered by a loving family.
Sam also found time to contact Pseudo-Annie who had managed to find the evidence to clear the Professor’s name concerning the dead bodies, tracing them beyond Israel’s border and terrorism to a crime syndicate in Italy. They were the remains of criminal rivals being transported out of Italy before being disposed of. It was clear that the professor had been set up and was therefore innocent of the original charges.
The only question they had to leave with Jenni was what had happened to the six G’Tach that had vanished from prison? Were they still out there somewhere, waiting?
If so, they promised they would return to help.
Superhero Adventures, UK Style 